Israel says its forces have struck almost all of Iran's infrastructure in Syria, in response to an Iranian rocket attack on the occupied Golan Heights.

Israel says it has struck almost all of Iran's military infrastructure in Syria, in response to an Iranian rocket attack on the occupied Golan Heights.

The Israeli military said 20 rockets were fired by Iranian Revolutionary Guards at its positions overnight.

The Israeli military said 20 rockets were fired by Iranian Revolutionary Guards at its positions overnight.

It retaliated by targeting what it said were Iranian weapons depots, logistics sites and intelligence centres.

It retaliated by targeting what it said were Iranian weapons depots, logistics sites and intelligence centres.

There was no immediate comment from Iran, which has sent troops to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad.

There was no immediate comment from Iran, which has sent troops to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian state media reported that the army's air defences had repelled an "Israeli aggression" on Syrian territory, shooting down scores of missiles.

Syrian state media reported that the army's air defences had repelled an "Israeli aggression" on Syrian territory, shooting down scores of missiles.

But a military source told the official Sana news agency that some missiles had hit a number of air defence battalions, radars and an ammunition depot.

But a military source told the official Sana news agency that some missiles had hit a number of air defence battalions, radars and an ammunition depot.

Israel's government has vowed to stop what it considers its arch-enemy's "military entrenchment" in Syria, and it is believed to have carried out several strikes on Iranian facilities since February.

Israel has vowed to stop what it considers its arch-enemy's "military entrenchment" in Syria, and it is believed to have carried out several strikes on Iranian facilities, including one on an airbase in April that killed seven Revolutionary Guards.

It had been anticipating a retaliatory attack by Iran or its proxies in Syria since seven Revolutionary Guards personnel were killed in a strike on an airbase in April.

What happened in the Golan?

What happened in the Golan?

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has targeted dozens of Iranian facilities with air strikes in retaliation for the attack, which has not been confirmed by Iran.

Israel occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally.

It said weapons stores, missile launchers and intelligence facilities were all targeted in the wave of strikes overnight.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that early on Thursday morning about 20 rockets had been launched at its forward posts in the occupied Golan by members of the Revolutionary Guards' overseas operations arm, the Quds Force.

Syria's state news agency Sana said Israeli missiles had been shot down south of Homs, but reported that a weapons depot and a radar installation had been hit.

IDF spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said four rockets were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome aerial defence system, while the others fell short of their targets. No injuries or damage were reported.

The rocket attack was ordered by the commander of the Quds Force, Gen Qassem Soleimani, Col Conricus said, adding that it had "not achieved its purpose".

"If it rains in Israel, it will pour in Iran," he said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the civil war in Syria, confirmed that "dozens of rockets" were fired from Quneitra province and the south-western Damascus countryside towards the occupied Golan.

But Mr Lieberman also added that this was not the beginning of a large confrontation.

It did not identify the forces responsible, but it said the rocket attack came after Israeli forces bombarded Baath, a Syrian-controlled town in in the Golan demilitarized zone.

"I hope we finished this chapter and everyone got the message," the minister said.

A senior source in an Iranian-led regional military alliance that supports Syria's government also told AFP news agency that Israeli forces had fired first.

The latest confrontation follows a reported Israeli missile strike on a military outpost south of the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday.

How did Israel respond to the rocket fire?

Sana reported that two missiles were shot down in the Kiswah area and that two civilians were killed in an explosion.

An IDF statement said fighter jets had struck "dozens of military targets" belonging to Iran inside Syria. They included:

But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the missiles hit an Iranian weapons depot, killing 15 pro-government fighters.

The IDF said it had also targeted several Syrian military air defence systems after they fired at the Israeli fighter jets despite an Israeli "warning".

Eight members of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards force and several other non-Syrian nationals were among those killed, it said.

Later, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman told a conference in the town of Herzliya that the IDF had "hit almost all of the Iranian infrastructure in Syria".

Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally.

"They must remember that if it rains here [in Israel], it will pour there," he said. "I hope that we have finished this chapter and that everyone got the message."

Mr Lieberman stressed that while Israel had "no interest in escalation", it had to "be prepared for any scenario". "We are facing a new reality where Iran is attacking Israel directly and trying to harm Israel's sovereignty and territories," he added.

The latest confrontation came a day after a reported Israeli strike in Kiswah, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said had targeted an Iranian weapons depot and killed 15 pro-government fighters, including eight Revolutionary Guards.

Why does Israel hit Iranian interests?

Why does Israel hit Iranian interests?

Iran is Israel's arch-foe and has repeatedly called for an end to the existence of the Jewish state.

Iran is Israel's arch-foe and has repeatedly called for an end to the existence of the Jewish state.

It is a major ally of Syria and has deployed hundreds of troops to the country. It says they are there as military advisers to Syria.

It is a key ally of Syria's president and has deployed hundreds of troops to the country. It says they are there as military advisers to the Syrian military.

Thousands of militiamen armed, trained and financed by Iran - mostly from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, but also Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen - have also been fighting alongside the Syrian army.

Thousands of militiamen armed, trained and financed by Iran have also been fighting alongside the Syrian army.

Iran has increasingly strengthened its military presence in Syria, something which Israel considers a direct threat.

While supporting Mr Assad, Iran has significantly increased its military presence in Syria - something Israel considers a direct threat.

Israel has vowed to prevent Iran from entrenching itself there and has targeted, or is believed to have targeted, Iranian assets and positions, increasingly in recent months.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously warned that Israel might go to war with Iran "sooner rather than later" to stop it attacking.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel may go to war with Iran "sooner rather than later" to stop it attacking Israel.

Mr Netanyahu was also instrumental in persuading the US to end its participation in the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Mr Netanyahu has been instrumental in urging Mr Trump to end his support for the nuclear agreement with Iran.

Last week, he unveiled what he said was a cache of Iranian documents proving it had not ended its efforts to build a nuclear weapon, in defiance of the deal.

Mr Netanyahu was in Moscow this week, informing Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country is an ally of Iran and Syria, about the findings.